Peanut Butter & Veganhttp://peanutbutterandvegan.com
You Want Me to Eat What?Mon, 30 Oct 2017 18:50:27 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.4.13Date Sweetened Cinnamon Rollshttp://peanutbutterandvegan.com/date-sweetened-cinnamon-rolls/
http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/date-sweetened-cinnamon-rolls/#commentsMon, 30 Oct 2017 18:50:27 +0000http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/?p=909The weather is starting to get a bit chilly and I am craving ALL THE COMFORT FOOD. Gimme all the soups, pastas, and baked goods! While I really love comfort foods, I also love eating healthy foods and taking proper care of my body, which results in me coming up with slightly healthier versions of my favorite indulgences.… Read the rest]]>The weather is starting to get a bit chilly and I am craving ALL THE COMFORT FOOD. Gimme all the soups, pastas, and baked goods! While I really love comfort foods, I also love eating healthy foods and taking proper care of my body, which results in me coming up with slightly healthier versions of my favorite indulgences. The healthier versions are definitely still a treat to be enjoyed every now and then, but at least I don’t feel so gross after eating them!

Back in September a coworker of mine decided to give up processed sugar for a month, but that’s pretty hard to do when you work in a bakery. And are also diabetic. About halfway into the month I came up with the idea of date-sweetened cinnamon rolls and decided to whip up a batch before work to surprise my coworker. Her reaction made my entire day and I’m so glad I was able to create a treat she could enjoy while still avoiding processed sugars. The dough for the cinnamon rolls is sweetened with a touch of maple syrup, while the filling is a super sweet and creamy date paste. Top it all off with some cashew cream frosting and you’ve got yourself a delicious cinnamon roll.

Just look at how gooey they are inside!

I posted a picture of the cinnamon rolls on my Instagram and Facebook page and got loads of people asking for the recipe. Now that it’s been a whole month since posting the picture, I’m finally getting around to re-testing the recipe for all those who have asked! These cinnamon rolls do take a bit more effort than the traditional version, but I promise they are so worth it. They’re super fluffy and gooey, sweet and cinnamon-y; everything you love about cinnamon rolls without all the yuck.

I honestly prefer these cinnamon rolls over the traditional roll. While I do have quite the sweet tooth, I find that many sweets, especially cinnamon rolls, are just way too sweet. I can usually only handle a few bites and feel like poo afterwards (not that this ever stops me…). I could probably eat the whole pan of these though…

Date-Sweetened Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 8-10 rolls

Ingredients:

For the dough:

1 Cup warm water

3 Tbsp pure maple syrup

2 1/4 Tsp yeast

2 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

1 Tsp salt

For the filling:

1 Cup soaked pitted medjool dates

3 Tbsp water

Pinch sea salt

Cinnamon

For the frosting:

1/3 Cup soaked raw cashews

1 Tbsp pure maple syrup

2-3 Tbsp plant milk (I used homemade almond milk)

Directions:

For the dough:

Combine the warm water and maple syrup (I usually do this in a 2 cup mason jar), then add the yeast and give it a good mix. Allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, combine 1.5 cups of the flour and the salt in a medium mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Once the yeast mixture is nice and fluffy add it to the flour and salt. Give it a good stir or mix until there aren’t any lumps. Gradually add the flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough is tacky. It should be slightly sticky, but not stick to your hand when you pull it away. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, then place it in an oiled bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and allow it to rise for about an hour, or until doubled in size.

For the filling:

The most efficient way to do this is to make the filling while the dough is rising. Simply combine all the filling ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. I like to do this in the mini food processor that came with our immersion blender, but it works just as well in a regular food processor or blender. You may have to scrape down the sides a few times.

For the frosting:

Blend all the frosting ingredients until smooth and creamy. Start with just 2 tablespoons of milk and add more to get your desired consistency. I like a thicker cashew cream, but you can add more milk to get a thinner, more glaze-like consistency. Store in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble.

Assembly:

Once the dough has doubled in size, flour your work surface and roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/4 inch in thickness. Slather on the date paste and sprinkle over as much or as little cinnamon as your heart desires. Roll the dough up starting at one of the longer sides. Cut the dough into 8-10 rolls and place them in an oiled or lined baking dish (foil-lined baking dishes = less clean-up!), cover with a towel, and let them rise for another 30 minutes. About halfway through the second rise, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Bake the rolls for 20 minutes until they are just starting to turn brown on the edges. Allow them to cool for at least 15 minutes, then frost with the cashew cream frosting and try not to eat all of them in one sitting.

]]>http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/date-sweetened-cinnamon-rolls/feed/2Oil-Free Pumpkin Muffinshttp://peanutbutterandvegan.com/oil-free-pumpkin-muffins/
http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/oil-free-pumpkin-muffins/#commentsFri, 13 Oct 2017 01:18:29 +0000http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/?p=900Well hello there. I’ve been absolutely awful at keeping up with posting new recipes lately, but to be fair I just haven’t had much time to test many things out. I hope you can forgive me.

]]>Well hello there. I’ve been absolutely awful at keeping up with posting new recipes lately, but to be fair I just haven’t had much time to test many things out. I hope you can forgive me.

Anyway, every year in October my mom and I do October Unprocessed. It’s a pretty nifty challenge that really gets you thinking about what you buy, where it comes from, and what exactly is going into your body each day. If I’m honest, we haven’t made it to the end of the month in a while… although we made it until the night before Halloween about 3 years ago, so I think that counts. My mom and sister decided to give it another go this year while I planned to just watch from the sidelines. I gave it some more thought and figured I already eat really unprocessed, with the exception of cookies at work here and there, so why not just give up my cookies for a month. Plus, I’m really curious to see if eating less processed sugar actually helps clear up some acne (so far it hasn’t, but I’m convinced that’s stress related).

If you’ve never tried October Unprocessed, or even just challenging yourself to eat unprocessed for a week or so, I would definitely recommend it. It might surprise you how many processed foods you eat on a daily basis without even giving it a second thought. I actually decided about a year and a half ago that I didn’t want to eat any really weird foods (vegan meats, cheeses, etc.) or ingredients and I haven’t missed a single thing! The biggest change I’ve noticed is just feeling a lot less lethargic nowadays. I certainly don’t have the energy of a 5 year old, but at least I feel a bit better.

This is all leading to the actual recipe, I promise. So, after a few days of doing the unprocessed thing I realized my usual snack was a cookie and I was actually getting pretty hungry without much to snack on in the house (I get pretty bored of snacking on the same veggies all the time, plus I will admit to having a pretty big sweet tooth when it comes to snacks). Thus, these muffins were born! These muffins do use a plain all purpose flour (I don’t get that picky about unprocessed food), but you are more than welcome to try it out with all whole wheat flour or maybe even some oat flour!

Oil-Free Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

Makes about 8 muffins

Ingredients

3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour

1/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1 Tsp Baking Powder

1/4 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 Tbsp Flax Seeds + 3 Tbsp Warm Water

1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree

1/3 Cup Pure Maple Syrup

1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 Tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Tbsp Plant Based Milk

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl combine the ground flax seeds with the water and set aside while you prepare the dry ingredients. In a small mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Add the remaining wet ingredients to the flax seed mixture and stir everything together. Add the wet to the dry and fold through until just combined.

Scoop your batter into a lined muffin tin (or use cute little silicon muffin liners like mine! So eco-friendly!!) and bake the muffins for 15 minutes.

]]>http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/oil-free-pumpkin-muffins/feed/3Almost Raw Fudgesicleshttp://peanutbutterandvegan.com/almost-raw-fudgesicles/
http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/almost-raw-fudgesicles/#respondFri, 18 Aug 2017 14:14:35 +0000http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/?p=881It’s been a while since I posted a new recipe! If you follow me on Instagram you’ll know I’ve definitely still been playing around in the kitchen and developing some new recipes here and there. Unfortunately, I won’t be sharing most of those recipes on here as they are for my hopeful future all vegan cafe!… Read the rest]]>It’s been a while since I posted a new recipe! If you follow me on Instagram you’ll know I’ve definitely still been playing around in the kitchen and developing some new recipes here and there. Unfortunately, I won’t be sharing most of those recipes on here as they are for my hopeful future all vegan cafe! Keyword there being ‘hopeful,’ but I’m trying to be optimistic here.

Anyway, before I share the recipe for these fudgesicles I feed like I should say that I’m really not a huge fan of avocado, *gasp.* Don’t get me wrong, I love me some guacamole or some avocado sushi, but other than that it’s really not my thing. I’ve had other avocado-based desserts in the past that definitely tasted way too much like avocado for me, but I think the right balance is just right in this recipe.

I even presented the fudgesicle mixture to my mom to try before freezing, but before even tasting it she made a face and said, “I don’t like that stuff.” I made her try it anyway and guess what? She liked it! Picky parent approved (;P). These fudgesicles remind me of the ones I used to eat as a kid after a day at the beach, but without all the junk ingredients. I remember eating one almost everyday during the summer; I was addicted to those things!

The avocado provides the creaminess of a classic fudgesicle, making sure these aren’t too icy. The addition of the banana helps cut the avocado flavor without changing the texture too much, and surprisingly these don’t taste banana-y at all! Plus, they’re naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup, so no you can really feel good about having these as a healthy dessert option. I hope you all enjoy these as much as I do!

Almost Raw Fudgesicles

Ingredients

1 Ripe Haas Avocado

1 Medium Spotty Banana

4-6 Tbsp Raw Cacao Powder*

3-4 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup*

1/8 Tsp Sea Salt

1/4 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer the mixture to popsicle molds and freeze for at least 5 hours. This makes about 6-7 small fudgesicles, but can also be enjoyed as a chocolate pudding. When you’re ready to eat your fudgesicles, run the popsicle mold under warm water for about 30 seconds or place the mold in a hot water bath to help remove them from the mold.

Notes:

I like to use 6 tablespoons of cacao powder and 3 tablespoons of maple syrup for a darker chocolate flavor, but if you aren’t a big fan of dark chocolate I would recommend starting with 4 tablespoons of cacao powder and 4 tablespoons of maple syrup.

If you make this recipe be sure to tag me and use the tag #peanutbutterandvegan!

Today is the first day in 820 days that I haven’t gone for a run. Yep, that means I just ended my run streak that I started back in 2015.… Read the rest

]]>It feels weird writing this post. And it’s a tough one to write, so buckle up.

Today is the first day in 820 days that I haven’t gone for a run. Yep, that means I just ended my run streak that I started back in 2015. I loved doing my run streak and it helped me learn a lot about myself, but it’s time it came to an end. This decision took me over two weeks to make and it was honestly one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever had to make. I’ll go ahead and start this story back a few months.

Back in December I signed up to run the Monument Avenue 10K after finally finding the right running shoes that took away all the various aches and pains I had been experiencing for a while. I started training and slowly increasing my mileage, making sure I didn’t increase the mileage too fast and get hurt again. Two weeks before the race something didn’t feel right and I had this weird pain in my left foot, but it really didn’t hurt that bad so I backed off for just a few days and only ran my minimum one mile a day. The pain got worse for a few days before starting to feel better, but since it felt pretty good the day before the race I decided to run the 10K and just take it nice and slow.

That probably wasn’t my best decision, running 6 miles on a hurt foot, but I couldn’t just not run this race, it’s my favorite race and I always have so much fun running it. I still had a ton of fun running and my foot barely even hurt during the race, but the week after the race my foot started getting worse again and hasn’t really gotten much better since. I even went to my sports medicine and orthopedic doctor and was told to back off running for a few weeks. That was a week ago, oops.

That pretty much leads me to this past week where I cried and broke down at the thought of having to end my streak. It seems so silly that this streak means so much to me, but for me it shows how hard I’ve worked toward something and it makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something every single day, no matter how rough the rest of that day might be. After committing to the streak for over two years, it is extremely difficult to just throw that all away so quickly. I’ve thought about ending my streak for quite a while now and in the end my decision came down to if I wanted to run distance and enjoy myself or run my minimum mile in pain every day just for the sake of keeping the streak going.

I can’t see my foot getting any better or at least healing properly while continuing to run. Plus I’d much rather be able to do the things I love, like hiking, climbing, running, and spending my days at the bakery without being in constant pain than running one slow mile everyday. Considering I’ve had my foot wrapped up in bandages, icing three times per day trying to ease the pain and continue running, it doesn’t really make sense to continue. As much as I have loved this run streak and it pains me to end it, that’s my best solution. Of course I’m still going to run once my foot is healed, but I don’t see myself doing another run streak after having this injury and dealing with a few other injuries within this past year.

And so after 820 days of running every single day, I’m finally taking a rest day. Even though I’m ending my run streak I’m still going to give myself a little pat on the back for having completed an 820 day run streak and running 1,726 miles in that time. It’s still one of my biggest accomplishments and something I will always be proud of, just because it’s over doesn’t mean it wasn’t great. Here’s to taking care of yourself and not running yourself into the ground (quite literally).

Peace out, run streak, the past two years have been great.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, yes it is extremely difficult not lacing up my shoes and heading out for a run. I may need to hide my running shoes from myself….

]]>http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/ending-the-streak/feed/5Two Years of Running Everydayhttp://peanutbutterandvegan.com/two-years-of-running-everyday/
http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/two-years-of-running-everyday/#commentsTue, 24 Jan 2017 11:58:32 +0000http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/?p=828Yeah, you read that right. TWO WHOLE YEARS! I’m just as shocked as you are. Last year as I sat and typed up my post for making it one year on my run streak I was in complete awe and shock that I had actually made it a whole year running every single day.… Read the rest]]>Yeah, you read that right. TWO WHOLE YEARS! I’m just as shocked as you are. Last year as I sat and typed up my post for making it one year on my run streak I was in complete awe and shock that I had actually made it a whole year running every single day. This year, as I’m writing this post, I am even more amazed and excited to have been running for another year.

Celebrating day 500 of my run streak

730 days is a long time, but that time sure does fly when you’re having fun. Over the past two years running has really made me genuinely happier and it’s amazing to look back at the difference in my outlook on life and my overall energy levels before I started running. No, I’m not one of those crazies who has loads of energy all the dang time (seriously how do some people have so much energy?), but I can at least make it through my day without getting a little foggy headed. This could continue to be a sappy post about how running changed my life, but I’m not about that so I will move on. Although I will address a few more things I’ve learned over the second year of my run streak later on.

This past year was a bit rough as I tackled 2 different injuries (oh and also the stomach flu, that was a fun one) that caused me to reduce my mileage for the majority of the year. At the end of my post last year I mentioned an ankle injury that I was told I could continue running through. Well, it turned out that it was the shoes I was running in. After running in those shoes for many months, I got fitted for some orthotics (team crazy bad over pronation) and changed shoes and my ankles stopped hurting almost immediately. I was sooooo happy to be running pain free, and yet a week after I got my new shoes my knee started to hurt. I decided I had upped my mileage too quickly after being injured and decided to take it easy for a few weeks, only to realize it was the new shoes causing the knee pain. I really couldn’t catch a break.

Finally, in November I went back to the shoes I ran in for cross country in high school, and for the first bit of my run streak: Saucony. I’ve been running in my new shoes for about 2 months now and loving them. I actually almost forgot how wonderful it is to run without any pain! Moral of the story: no running shoe (or any shoe for that matter) will work for everyone. Everyone’s feet are different and everyone’s needs are different- some people need more cushion, some less. For me, too much cushion is what caused my knee to start hurting, so I need cushioning that is somewhere in the middle.

Day 600!

Considering I went through a lot of trial and error and a lot of ups and downs this past year, I learned a lot more during the second year of my run streak. I definitely learned the importance of taking care of myself and not pushing myself too hard, that’s the kind of stuff that leads to permanent injuries! I also learned that it is very much OK to not run 50 miles a week and that I need to find a mileage that is best suited for me. Right now that’s sitting around 10 miles a week, and that is perfectly OK.

This year’s post isn’t nearly as long as last year’s, and I didn’t expect it to be. But I’d like to end the post with this: last year I said I learned to stop comparing myself to others, but honestly I still struggled with it. This year I finally learned to let go of what other people are doing and focus on what I’m doing. Sure, I’m not running ultra marathons, or any marathons really, but I’m pushing myself and challenging myself, and that is what really matters. I never would have thought I would be running every single day, and yet here I am 730 days later and still going strong. So what if that means I’m only running one mile everyday, that’s more than I was running before the streak, is it not? All I can do is challenge myself to be a better version of me with each and every day. After all, nobody can be me better than I can.

Today, my 2 year streakiversary!

]]>http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/two-years-of-running-everyday/feed/2Creamy Pumpkin Pastahttp://peanutbutterandvegan.com/creamy-pumpkin-pasta/
http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/creamy-pumpkin-pasta/#commentsSun, 27 Nov 2016 01:24:14 +0000http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/?p=812It’s Fall! Ok, so I’m a bit late, but I’m giving you this fantastic pasta recipe, so please forgive me. It’s that time of year when everyone is making pumpkin everything and going nuts over what the new holiday Starbucks cup will look like, ah what a wonderful time ;P.… Read the rest]]>It’s Fall! Ok, so I’m a bit late, but I’m giving you this fantastic pasta recipe, so please forgive me. It’s that time of year when everyone is making pumpkin everything and going nuts over what the new holiday Starbucks cup will look like, ah what a wonderful time ;P. But seriously I do love this time of year, but only until it gets so cold that I refuse to leave my warm bed in the morning, then it’s gross and I’m ready for warmer weather again.

All the fun Fall produce is in season, and of course the biggest one is pumpkin! I love me a good pumpkin muffin or donut or what have you, but I also have been really wanting to use pumpkin in a savory way. The thing is, I don’t really like pumpkin all that much. I know, I know, I must be insane. Luckily this pasta doesn’t really taste too strongly of pumpkin, yet is still cozy and comforting for the cooler weather.

This is one of those recipes that I came up with while I was just laying in bed one night and it just sounded so good I had to get up and make it before going to class the next morning. I’ve run a few trials of it, making my parents, as well as my coworkers, try it and each time it got fantastic reviews. Oh and it also can be made in under 30 minutes. Seriously, I don’t have time for time consuming recipes anymore and I managed to make this in under 30 minutes each time, including clean up!

I’m so excited to share it, I just can’t wait any longer! I hope you enjoy this pasta, it’s creamy, warming, and cozy, just what everyone needs this time of year!

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

Ingredients

1 1/3 Cups Plant-Based Milk (I prefer unsweetened cashew)

1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree

1/3 Cup Raw Cashews (soaked for a few hours if you don’t have a high powered blender)

2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast

1 Tsp Onion Powder

1 Large Clove of Garlic

Scant 1/2 Tsp Dried Sage

Scant 1/2 Tsp Dried Thyme

1/2 Tsp Dried Rosemary, or 1 Tsp Fresh

1/4 Tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 lb Linguine noodles, or your favorite pasta

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions and drain, reserving some of the pasta water.

Add all ingredients, except the pasta of course, to a blender and blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth. Transfer the pasta sauce to a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce becomes super thick and creamy. Once thick, you can either add the pasta to the sauce, or add the sauce to the pasta. My pan isn’t big enough so I always add the sauce to the pasta. And ta-da! Pasta in 30 minutes!

The sauce tends to get thicker the longer it sits, so you can add a bit of the pasta water to thin it back out.

]]>http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/creamy-pumpkin-pasta/feed/4Easy Vegan Soft Pretzelshttp://peanutbutterandvegan.com/easy-vegan-soft-pretzels/
http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/easy-vegan-soft-pretzels/#commentsSat, 03 Sep 2016 23:30:06 +0000http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/?p=791It’s been quite some time since I’ve posted a new recipe! This summer I spent my time working at a local vegan bakery and I’ve absolutely loved it. So much that I actually did tear up a little bit once the week before classes rolled around because I just didn’t want to go back to school and not get to spend everyday at the bakery!… Read the rest]]>It’s been quite some time since I’ve posted a new recipe! This summer I spent my time working at a local vegan bakery and I’ve absolutely loved it. So much that I actually did tear up a little bit once the week before classes rolled around because I just didn’t want to go back to school and not get to spend everyday at the bakery! I’ve learned a lot of new things over the summer and it’s just overall been really great.

Anyway, back to the point of the post. I discovered sometime within the past year that I really love making bread dough, there’s something so therapeutic about the whole process; it helps me relieve stress and relax a little bit. That being said, I’ve often thought, surely there are things to make other than bread, pizza, and cinnamon rolls, I just didn’t know what to make! That is, until last weekend when I woke up on Sunday morning and thought to myself, “I think I’ll try and make pretzels today!”

I’ve never made pretzels. Or had a homemade soft pretzel before, for that matter. But, you don’t learn if you don’t try, right? I at least knew the basics, so that was a bonus. Plus they’re actually a lot easier to make than you would think, provided you have a bit of patience.

The dough itself is a pretty standard dough that I’ve been using for quite some time for breads, pizza, and things of that sort. You can absolutely use a store-bought pizza dough if you’re tight on time or just feeling a bit lazy, but nothing beats a homemade dough, I promise.

These pretzels are soft and fluffy, a bit chewy, and have a tiny bit of a crunch to the outside. Brushed with a little vegan butter, they remind me of my favorite Auntie Anne’s pretzels I used to dream about every time we went to the mall. These are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven, but can be stored in a zip-top bag for about 5-6 days and re-heated in the oven or microwave. I like to pack them up and take them to campus with me for a study snack in between classes.

Look at how fluffy they are!

Easy Vegan Soft Pretzels

Makes about 8 pretzels

Ingredients:

For the dough

1 Cup warm water

1 Tbsp sugar (or maple syrup, agave, etc.)

1 Tbsp dry yeast

2 1/2 ish Cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

To prepare the pretzels:

8 Cups water

2 Tbsp baking soda

Optional: 1 Tbsp vegan butter

Coarsely ground sea salt or rock salt

Directions

Start by combining the warm water, sugar, and yeast, and give it a good stir. Let that mixture sit for about 5-10 minutes until it is super foamy. While the yeast blooms, combine the salt and 1 cup of the flour in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Once the yeast is bloomed, add that mixture to the flour and salt and stir well with a wooden spoon, so the mixture is completely smooth. At this point you can slowly start adding in the remaining flour, starting with another 1/2 cup, and then another.

After you’ve added 2 cups, it’ll be hard to stir with the spoon and you’ll want to turn the dough out onto a well floured surface to start kneading in the rest of the flour. I like to put about a 1/4 cup of flour onto the counter then work that flour in and add the remaining 1/4 cup as needed. The amount of flour will vary each time, so don’t worry about being exact. You just want to add enough flour so the dough is smooth and just slightly sticky to the touch. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, then place back into the mixing bowl (oil the bowl and toss the dough in the oil to make it easier to get out later), cover with a damp towel, and let the dough rise for about an hour, until it has doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen, fill a pot with the 8 cups of water and 2 tbsp baking soda and place it over high heat to bring it to a boil. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit at this time as well. Remove the dough from the bowl and portion it out into 8 equal portions (or less if you want bigger pretzels, and more if you want smaller). Gently roll each piece of dough out as you would with play-dough to make a long snake, being careful not to tear the dough. Shape the pretzels and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet while you shape the rest.

Once the water is boiling, place one pretzel in the water and boil it for roughly 15 seconds per side, remove the pretzel using a kitchen spider or a spatula, and place it back on the parchment while you boil the rest. If you’re really craving that soft buttery pretzel you love so much, brush a little melted vegan butter over the tops of the pretzels and sprinkle a bit of coarsely ground salt on top. Bake the pretzels for about 12-15 minutes, until they’re a deep golden brown. Allow them to cool before eating the entire tray.

]]>http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/easy-vegan-soft-pretzels/feed/8Sir Kensington’s Fabanaise Reviewhttp://peanutbutterandvegan.com/sir-kensingtons-fabanaise-review/
http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/sir-kensingtons-fabanaise-review/#commentsThu, 26 May 2016 15:11:21 +0000http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/?p=758Just over a year ago, the magical powers of aquafaba were discovered. Just a handful of crazy vegans pouring bean juice in a mixer and seeing what could be done. I remember spending almost my entire spring break last year playing with this magical liquid testing what its limits were.… Read the rest]]>Just over a year ago, the magical powers of aquafaba were discovered. Just a handful of crazy vegans pouring bean juice in a mixer and seeing what could be done. I remember spending almost my entire spring break last year playing with this magical liquid testing what its limits were. I researched and talked with others about our various experiments, posting everything in the, then small, Facebook group. It was such an exciting time being a part of the discovery and experimentation of aquafaba.

One of those experiments was seeing if the aquafaba would emulsify just like eggs when making mayonnaise. It seemed like a bit of a long shot since aquafaba doesn’t have the exact same properties as eggs, considering it doesn’t have a yolk, but we gave it a try anyway! That recipe has now made its rounds on the interwebbies and it’s been so cool seeing it featured on so many other’s blogs and websites. I never thought the recipe would end up being so popular!

Fast forward a year and aquafaba has been featured on The Huffington Post, Food Network, The New York Times, and many more. The aquafaba craze is taking over the world and it has everyone’s attention, vegan or not. It’s kind of insane how much attention aquafaba has gotten and it’s been so much fun seeing the evolution of it all. The Facebook group now even has over 47,000 members and it continues to grow everyday with more and more people testing the limits of the magic egg replacer.

With all of the attention aquafaba has been getting, the condiment company, Sir Kensington’s, saw the recipe for aquafaba mayonnaise and started testing their own mayo to be produced on a large scale and sold in stores. That’s pretty mind boggling to me, knowing that aquafaba has become such a huge innovation and even more exciting that the aquafaba mayonnaise craze was all started right here with one little experiment. The whole thing gets even cooler with the fact that Sir Kensington’s is partnered with a hummus company to obtain their aquafaba and help eliminate food waste. How awesome is that??

A few weeks ago the CEO of Sir Kensington’s contacted me and sent me samples of their new product, Fabanaise. I received a jar of the original vegan mayo and a jar of the chipotle vegan mayo to taste and review. Pretty cool, huh? Unlike other vegan mayonnaises, fabanaise is refrigerated even before opening, which is somewhat encouraging because it doesn’t have any kind of weird ingredients or preservatives in it. The list of ingredients is very short, and all things you would find in your everyday pantry.

I opened up both jars and decided to try them just on their own first, without putting them on anything. Upon opening the jars, they both look just like any normal mayo, smell like mayo, and are nice and thick. The chipotle one is very tasty and has just a bit of a kick to it, but not too much. We put this on some black bean burgers and it added the perfect amount of spice and creaminess to the whole burger. The original on the other hand was not quite as good. The flavor of the original was not reminiscent of mayonnaise at all to me. It’s missing a bit of tang and is actually a bit on the sweet side, which struck me as odd. It has an odd flavor, but I can’t quite put my finger on what is has going on. I also put the original mayo on a sandwich and it was a bit more like traditional mayonnaise, but still lacked that tang I was looking for. I think it would work best in dishes that don’t rely on the mayonnaise flavor as much as the creaminess, like potato salad. As far as the original goes, I think I’ll stick to homemade aquafaba mayo or Hampton Creek’s mayo to get that authentic mayonnaise taste.

Regardless of the mayonnaise, I think it is great that aquafaba has become such a big thing and is helping reduce food waste in so many ways.

I have a ton of smoothie recipes posted, so I was a bit hesitant to post another, but you can never really have too many smoothie recipes, am I right? Smoothies have become one of my favorite things and I don’t think I could ever go back to a smoothie-less life.… Read the rest

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I have a ton of smoothie recipes posted, so I was a bit hesitant to post another, but you can never really have too many smoothie recipes, am I right? Smoothies have become one of my favorite things and I don’t think I could ever go back to a smoothie-less life. They’re just such perfect meals or snacks and a great way to get in fruits and veggies!

I’ve honestly had this recipe sitting in the “notes” on my phone for well over a year, so I figured it might be time to actually post it. I have a bad habit of doing that actually… There’s a whole list of recipes on my phone or various pieces of scratch paper floating around the house that I just haven’t gotten around to photographing and posting. Ah, but that is the life of a busy college student I suppose. After doing homework and taking notes all day on my laptop, the last thing I really want to do is sit down and stare at the screen for even more time, even though I truly enjoy writing these posts. My eyes just can’t take so much screen time! I know, what kind of 20 year old doesn’t want to spend all day everyday in front of technology?

I like my smoothies thick, so if you like a thinner smoothie feel free to add more milk as desired!

Anyway, back to the smoothie. I’ve made this smoothie countless times for myself, but only recently made it for my mom and got the stamp of approval from her. We are also planning on demoing it for the students at work and for the child care center on campus. I was a tad bit skeptical of it being a super kid-approved smoothie though (considering there are beets in it), so I asked my dear friend, Mandy if she wouldn’t mind testing it out to see if her daughter, Willow liked it. When she said yes to testing it I was even just thrilled to have someone else try it! Then I got feedback that Willow absolutely LOVED it and they will definitely be making it again, which honestly had me smiling so much I probably looked insane as I was walking across campus reading her message. Thus, my motivation for finally posting the recipe after so long of hoarding it on my phone.

Definitely kid-approved, I mean look at that grin!

This smoothie is sweet and chocolatey, but still stays a nice hot pink color that is so beautiful I marvel at it every time I make it, and I’m not even a huge fan of pink things! This smoothie tastes like a dessert, but it’s so good for you! I love having it in addition to a small breakfast or as an afternoon snack. If you’re planning on having it for a meal, I would suggest adding a couple more strawberries, liquid, and an extra half of a banana or so, maybe a little extra cacao powder too ;).

If you try this recipe, remember to tag it #peanutbutterandvegan so I can see all your beautiful smoothie creations!

Red Velvet Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 Cup Non-Dairy Milk (I use cashew milk)

1/2 Cup Raw Beets, Peeled and Chopped

2 Tablespoons Raw Cashews (soaked if not using a high powered blender)

2 Pitted Dates

1/2 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1 Heaping Tablespoon Raw Cacao Powder (or Cocoa Powder)

6 Large Frozen Strawberries (about 1 cup)

1 Frozen Banana

Topping ideas: coconut whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, cacao nibs

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a high powered blender and blend until smooth.

If you do not have a high powered blender, make sure to soak your cashews for a few hours or overnight. You may also want to blend the milk, beets, cashews, and dates first before adding the remaining ingredients to make sure everything is nicely incorporated and the smoothie is actually smooth. Nobody wants a chunky.

-Hunter

]]>http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/red-velvet-smoothie/feed/6One Year of Running Everydayhttp://peanutbutterandvegan.com/one-year-of-running-everyday/
http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/one-year-of-running-everyday/#commentsSat, 23 Jan 2016 14:44:20 +0000http://peanutbutterandvegan.com/?p=687This is going to be a long post, but just roll with it.

Today is a big day. One that felt so far away, as if it would never actually be here. Today is day 365 of my run streak. One year of running every single day.… Read the rest

]]>This is going to be a long post, but just roll with it.

Today is a big day. One that felt so far away, as if it would never actually be here. Today is day 365 of my run streak. One year of running every single day. That’s pretty huge if you ask me.

At the start of 2015, my mom mentioned how our friend Amy over at Veggies Save the Day had been doing a run streak and she might do one too. A run streak is simply running at least one mile everyday without missing any days. Back up a little more into September of 2014 and we had both already started running again, so it was a pretty attainable goal. I thought the run streak sounded like it might be fun and decided to participate in the streak with my mom. What I didn’t expect was just how much I would love the run streak and how much it transformed my view of running as well as change my mindset overall.

I ran cross country in high school, practicing everyday and usually running at least once over the weekend, but it definitely wasn’t something I looked forward to or found a huge deal of enjoyment in. Sure, it helped me with stress (literally running away from my problems :P), but other than that I mostly questioned why I tortured myself on a daily basis. Even though I wasn’t competitive at all (which I think drove my mom a bit nuts as I didn’t really care who passed me during races), I got so much enjoyment and excitement out of every new PR. The more I ran, the more I enjoyed it.. errr tolerated it, but during my last season I got really bad shin splints and was out for the season, running my very last race on my birthday (which I limped my way through with my shins all wrapped up because I was determined to finish). I ran every now and then once I got to college, but I started running more with my mom in the summer and fall of 2014. This was mostly an every other day kinda thing though.

Left: after running my fastest 5k to date. Right: One of my first ever cross country races.

We started running everyday on January 1, 2015, but I had to stop a few days in so I could have my wisdom teeth out, along with some other oral surgery. However, I took the time off to recover and started running again on January 24, 2015. I was a little over 20 days behind my mom’s run streak, but that didn’t really bother me much, I mean there’s nothing you can do to magically add days to your streak. We ran through some of the coldest days we’ve had in our area in a long time, the coldest being -4 degrees. Fahrenheit. That was a one mile day :P. We ran in snow, rain, and wind. We even ran on the dreadmill when there was just no way we could run outside.

After a run in -4 degrees!

Now don’t get me wrong, we ran everyday, but we certainly weren’t out there running 10 miles everyday. We were averaging around 10-15 miles a week or so. We kept chugging along for a while until my mom had to end her streak after 85 days due to bad bursitis in her hip. I was super sad to not have anyone to run with anymore (except my main boogie, Rory), but I kept on going with my streak. Some days it was extremely hard to motivate myself to actually get up and run, especially during the cold months. It also didn’t help that it was an oddly cold winter.

Our first run in the snow

As the days got warmer and I’d been running for a while, I noticed I just naturally started upping my mileage without really giving it much thought. By the time I was out of school for summer (fake summer because summer classes, boo), I had gone from running 45 miles a month to 60 miles a month. I kept that average for the whole summer until August, when I ran my longest run up to that point – 10 miles. This was a huge milestone for me because I had previously only run a max of 7 miles and I wasn’t even planning on running that far, I just felt good so I kept on going. That taught me that I am capable of a lot more than I think I am.

Run streak day 100 and 200 (done in the pouring down rain while sick)

A little further down the road I noticed my mileage went up to 70, then 80 miles a month, but that increase wasn’t exactly intentional either. What was happening was I started truly enjoying running and the time I spent running. It became a huge part of me. I started wanting to run further, and in October ran my first (unofficial) half marathon. I was a ball of excitement after that, despite my legs feeling a bit like jello for a day or two. And that’s when I really upped the mileage. That run resulted in October’s mileage totaling out to 100.8 miles. I couldn’t believe I had run 100 miles in 31 days. From there on I decided to maintain the mileage, November ending at 108 miles and December at 104. I’m finishing out the year having run a total of 922 miles!

Running in the flurries in 13 degrees.

It wasn’t all perfect though. I had to take weeks of slow miles every now and then to fix certain injuries or because I was sick or feeling a little run down (no pun intended). A hip injury from running with Rory and constantly being off balance due to squirrel chasing, ankle injuries, and IT band injuries all happened over the course of the year. The most important thing I took away from these injuries is to take appropriate time off. Whenever I’m not feeling too hot I just do a slow one mile run, but I find that harder to do for a long period of time. Usually after about a week I’m back at it again, but the most recent ankle injury, which I’m still nursing back to health, put me out for longer than anticipated. I did get it checked though and got to OK to continue running.

Over this year I learned a lot from my run streak and I’m extremely proud of it. I learned to stop comparing myself to others. When I started out I felt very intimidated by others saying they went out for “an easy 15 miler” and as if I wasn’t pushing myself enough or I wasn’t a real runner. That only changed over the summer when I suddenly realized that not everyone is built the same and we can’t all endure that kind of distance. Nor do I want to run for over 2.5 hours. I started taking things at the pace I was comfortable with and that was good enough for me. I learned to take care of myself better. This includes taking rest days (no, not a day where you don’t do anything at all) and just doing one super easy, slow mile to allow my muscles to recover. I learned that I actually enjoy running. In high school I dreaded practice everyday, but I actually really love running now and I get back from every run with a smile on my face (unless it’s miserably cold or done on the treadmill :P). If I didn’t actually enjoy running I definitely don’t think I would’ve made it a whole year running every single day!

I think perhaps the most important thing I learned over this past year is to do at least one thing everyday that makes you happy. For me, that happened to be running. Although there are other things that I make sure I do everyday that make me happy, running is such a huge stress reliever for me and gives me a pretty big sense of accomplishment, even if I only ran 3 miles that day.

Looking on into the future, I definitely want to continue my streak and hope to continue it for as long as possible. With one year of experience I feel fairly confident that I know how to properly approach running everyday and how to take it a bit more seriously.